English Lit Coursework help?

We have to compare two novels with similar themes for coursework and I want to explore the theme of homosexuality but am struggling to find books to use for it. I've got Orlando and Maurice as two possible ones but i'm not sure of any other possible ones, any help?

Reply 1

coffeeaddict01

5

Call Me By Your Name would be a good contemporary option and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray would work as well - Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr may also work, but you would have to check if it was acceptable as it basically ignores all rules of grammar and is (I think) considered quite controversial. Good luck!

Reply 2

username3028808

15

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. It's always been a controversial book because of its pederastic nature, but it's an incredible novel exploring desire and the destruction that arises from it.

Reply 3

BenParker331

2

Original post by thespoooks

We have to compare two novels with similar themes for coursework and I want to explore the theme of homosexuality but am struggling to find books to use for it. I've got Orlando and Maurice as two possible ones but i'm not sure of any other possible ones, any help?

Hey The spooks, if you need any help with any of your assignment, I am here to help! Just reply me so we may discuss.

Reply 4

thespoooks

OP

4

Original post by coffeeaddict01

Call Me By Your Name would be a good contemporary option and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray would work as well - Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr may also work, but you would have to check if it was acceptable as it basically ignores all rules of grammar and is (I think) considered quite controversial. Good luck!

Dorian Gray would be perfect but it's one of our mandatory texts we've been studying so i can't use it and call me by my name has been deemed unacceptable for some reason, I'll have to look into Last Exit to Brooklyn though, sounds interesting, thank you!

Reply 5

thespoooks

OP

4

Original post by naem071

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. It's always been a controversial book because of its pederastic nature, but it's an incredible novel exploring desire and the destruction that arises from it.

This is originally in german isn't it? We're not allowed to use foreign novels which is very frustrating :/

Reply 6

username3028808

15

Original post by thespoooks

This is originally in german isn't it? We're not allowed to use foreign novels which is very frustrating :/

Yeah, it's translated from Mann's original German. Well that limits the range, but there's still a few you could use. Off the top of my head, these are two novels by English authors that I think would lend themselves quite nicely:
A Single Man - Christopher Isherwood
The Sparsholt Affair - Alan Hollinghurst (I think this would work very well as it explores social attitudes to homosexuality just after and beyond decriminalisation).

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 7

BogdanK

8

Original post by thespoooks

We have to compare two novels with similar themes for coursework and I want to explore the theme of homosexuality but am struggling to find books to use for it. I've got Orlando and Maurice as two possible ones but i'm not sure of any other possible ones, any help?

"Picture of Dorian Grey" has already been mentioned, but honestly I wouldn't say homosexuality was the central motif in the novel (or even a particularly important aspect). Although, "De Profundis" (also by Oscar Wilde) would be a pretty good pick, it's very short, dense and lends itself well to in-depth analysis. Also, the entire novella is based (factually and thematically) on Oscar Wilde's relationship with Douglas so every line is, necessarily, infused with references to homosexuality. Also, where "Orlando" is a running inquiry into identity that is explicit in its intentions, "De Profundis" offers a useful contrast by being centralised on the strife of one individual and treating homosexuality as a secondary factor, almost as a mundane "matter of fact". Hope this helps, I really would recommend this novella

English Lit Coursework help?

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